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About the Book

In this volume, Kathleen Nader has compiled an articulate and comprehensive guide to the complex process of assessment in youth and adolescent trauma. There are many issues that are important to evaluating children and adolescents, and it is increasingly clear that reliance on just one type of assessment does not provide the most accurate results. From history to recent advances, this book covers a wide range of methods and measures for assessing trauma, including case examples to illustrate the integration of these different facets. Altogether, the broad scope and inclusive depth of this work make it an essential addition to the field of trauma assessment.

Reviews

"…a valuable resource for any individual working in the field of child trauma. Comprehensive and thorough, it is written to be accessible to both researchers and clinicians…A wide range of topics is covered in a well-organized fashion…Kathleen Nader provides an exceptional overview and integration of child trauma topics. Her treatment of contextual considerations synthesizes valuable clinical expertise and, importantly, a well-grounded empirical basis…recommended as a resource for students new to the field as well as experienced child trauma professionals."– Annmarie C. Hulette, Journal of Trauma and Dissociation

Table of Contents

Preface. Foreword. Part I: Understanding Trauma in Youths and the Issues Related to its Assessment. How Children and Adolescents are Affected by Trauma. How Children and Adolescents’ Brains are Affected by Trauma. Are There Different Pathways to a Symptom or Set of Symptoms? The Nature of Assessing Traumatized Children and Adolescents. What Factors Enable a Youth to be Resilient in the Face of Trauma? Part II: Aspects of the Youth and His or Her Environment: Their assessment and/or influence on the assessment of trauma. The Nature of the Child. Culture and Family Background. Attachment. Part III: Methods and Measures for Assessing Trauma in Youths. Interviewing Youths Following Traumatic Events. The Nature of the Event: Assessing Exposure Levels and Complicated. Self-reports of Trauma Symptoms: School Age Children and Adolescents. The Use of Projective Tests in the Evaluation of Childhood Trauma. Adult Reports: Parent, Teacher, and Clinician Reports of Trauma. Part IV: Assessing Additional Trauma Symptoms. The Integration of Information Following Traumas: Understanding and Assessing Information Processing and Dissociation. The Assessment of Posttrauma Comorbidity and Behavioral Symptoms. Part V: Pulling it All Together. Writing Reports Regarding Traumatized Youths. An Afterword: Some Conclusions About Assessing Trauma in Youths. Glossary. Author Index. Subject Index

About the Author

Kathleen Nader, D.S.W., is Director of the Two Suns Childhood Trauma Program in Ceder Park, Texas, and an internationally recognized expert on child trauma and posttraumatic stress.